Where's that cure for the common cold?

[Mike_GX101]

We all know it's close to winter when the weather gets cooler and the nasty cold critters flood and clog up the air filters in every workplace up and down the lands. You know the efforts you go through to stop yourself getting the cold that's doing the rounds (eating as many oranges as you can, drinking down pints of orange juice and eating as much salad as you can find) only to then find that you still get it and when you then scoff down even more Vitamin C to get rid of it you encounter that undeserved side-effect of making the cold fight back even harder thereby making it worse!

 

I watched the documentary "Secret Universe: The Hidden Life of the Cell" last Sunday and have since come down with my cold and I've been thinking about the process involved and how the virus itself attacks individual cells and literally inserts it's own short-sequence of DNA straight into a target tissue cell which then brings down that entire cell while the virus replicates itself. With one cell compromised (and possibly many others too in the same period) it is only a matter of time before many other cells become compromised too. The nose gets blocked when the body (realising it is being compromised) floods the capillaries with white blood cells and begins to fight back.

 

My question is this - rather than trying to come up with some miracle serum that fights the common cold wouldn't it be easier simply to extract it's DNA and re-sequence it so that it is harmless to humans? They say that our cells and viruses are the same age and come from the same source and yet neither has had the advantage particularly of having external technological know-hows that can put the other one out of practice permanently. So what's stopping such invasive cures coming out? Why is this not happening? Why are we continuing to come down with common colds which surely we aught to have cures for by now?

[A-S warrior]

I have a cold/virus right now, and i dont know about any of you, but i cope just fine. it makes me chuckle when pepole start trying to cure a cold by eating oranges and drinking orange juice, (you've left it way to late for that now) the key is to boost your immune system via diet before your even close to a cold virus. that means eating lots of saturated fats (yes im being serious) dont eat so many sugars and carbs, and make sure you eating plenty of oily fish, (the positive effects for pepole on the specturm that consume enough omega 3, has been confirmed.) i may have got a cold regardless, but im only in the second day of it and im over the worst already.i have a friend that had the same cold as me, and her symtoms lasted the best part of a week! also home remidies and medicences wont cut it either, vicks vapor rub in case you havent noticed only works when you have your nose in the pot, not practical to walk around with a tub of vapor rub on the end of your nose, and it only works to temporarliy ease the nasal passage, it does nothing to fight the problem at hand!

 

so to awnser your question mike, why spend so much money on medical reaserch beacuse pepole are too bone idle to take care of themselves in the first place? plus there isnt enough money left beacuse of all these gastric bands!

Edited October 27, 2012 by A-S warrior

[A-S warrior]

And i must digress. the evidence to support my above post is all around us, just walk into teso on a saturday morning and take a look at what 90% of the people are putting in there baskets!

[Mike_GX101]

You've missed the point entirely - imagine if there were no colds at all because we'd fixed the 'broken' little critters with new DNA which doesn't wreak havoc on our immune systems and bodies. No more de-congestion rubs, no more paracetamol's, no more thousands of lost work days, etc. The benefits of curing the common cold are there if people care to look. Let's not let us get side-tracked by people's spending habits!

[A-S warrior]

I have a cold/virus right now, and i dont know about any of you, but i cope just fine.

 

^this^

And people will always find a way to duck out of things, 'i cant make it into work today beacause of' *insert excuse here* i know what your driving at, but there arn't too many pepole i know that need to take sick days, or particulally suffer with the sniffles. not worth the investment imo. i'd rather more reaserch was done on cancer/aids/meningitis/even autistic therapy. again, i know what your saying, and we're talking in theory, but the reality is, it aint worth the trouble.

[Mike_GX101]

There is no trouble at all; it's all an illusion. With little effort some of the worlds' finest minds could eradicate the common cold with little effort leaving plenty of time and resources left for the more important viruses/diseases as you say; all it takes is the will and technical know-how to do it.

 

I'm against genetically-modified crops and all, but put to good use in the fight against disease, genetic modification techniques could really make a difference.

Edited October 27, 2012 by Mike_GX101

[darkshine]

I think its all about mindset, the common cold is just that - a common cold, it isn't like having the flu for example, its an inconvenience, although I admit that some symptoms can be annoying and interfering...

 

Why invest all that money in research when the virus would probably just mutate into something else if a cure was found anyway - which would make colds worse and all the research would have to begin all over again.

[robert7111a]

Viruses mutate - so even if you could rearrange the DNA of one virus, another mutation will come along. The immune system's memory cells are good at remembering viruses so if the body is exposed to a particular virus and the memory cells recognise it, the virus is killed and you don't catch a cold.

 

But the real reason is the same as for cancer. Think how much the pharmaceutical companies would lose if people didn't buy over-the-counter cold remedies etc. They make huge profits from all of these. If there was ever a "cure" for the common cold, nobody would buy Vicks, decongestants, Vitamin C tablets, cough medicine etc...etc....

 

The other reason for catching colds is lack of vitamin D in the winter months because the sun is less intense and there are fewer hours of daylight. Vitamin D is abundant in oily fish. This is why eskimos don't catch colds.

 

I have also heard about not consuming too many dairy products over the winter as these cause stuffiness. Not sure of the truth in this though.

[Sa Skimrande]

The cure for the common cold is to keep away from people, but that also has the effect to lower defences so it is a double edged sword.

 

But whilst my friends all have this current bout of flu like symptoms I haven't and chances are I won't because I never seem to get colds or is it I ignore them, I don't now, but my last hefty cold was twelve years ago because I lived with two people with what turned out to be pneumonia, the after effects I remember well but it only lasted two days with me over a weekend. And so my work record of 23 years I can quite honestly say I never took one day of sick in all those years.

 

But the cure for sea sickness in case you are wondering perchance is to sit under a tree.

[karmadestiny]

Soup with lots of garlic and onion...both are inflammatory, kill bacteria and clear your chest and sinuses...plenty of rest if you're lucky to have the time...Allow nature to take it course and work through and out of your body...Stocking up and preparing in advance before the onset of the flu season also helps take the edge off and gives you the time to take it easy...

Edited October 30, 2012 by karmadestiny

[Sa Skimrande]

A flu pack most used to swear by includes 1000mg effervescent Vitamin C, one can take up to 4 of those a day,( also good for shifting hangovers but four pints of water along with 4g of Vitamin C ought to be useful) garlic, zinc and echinacea- echinacea only seems to work at it's utmost if used in short durations, like two weeks on and two weeks off, but many take it over the winter to ward off colds.

[Mike_GX101]

The update on my cold is that it has been a devil to shift - it has lingered all this week and had gone well above the 7 day period colds are said to last for. It should have ended on Tuesday night but I've been coughing ever since - it's now Friday night.

 

Colds are worse than ever in my opinion and even worse when you're fit and don't get them often. I could have done without a whole fortnight of missed training on my bike and this is what it amounts to. Colds cause misery and even the pharmaceuticals are run by people who get colds so everyone stands to gain by a cure for the common cold. And with fewer people off sick there would be more productivity to look for cures for other things too - so everyone gains there too.

[Mannify]

If you're still coughing, is it possible you now have an infection that requires antibiotics? It might be worth investigating if you're still coughing after the weekend. Get well soon

[Mike_GX101]

Thanks Mannify - it keeps going back onto my chest. I'm eating plenty of oily fish, drinking lots of orange juice, having lots of vegetables but seemingly to no avail!

Edited November 2, 2012 by Mike_GX101

[Sa Skimrande]

Thanks Mannify - it keeps going back onto my chest. I'm eating plenty of oily fish, drinking lots of orange juice, having lots of vegetables but seemingly to no avail!

 

If your bug keeps going back to the chest, there is a clue, your chest is a problem area, I understand this is due to a weakened chest through illness, the fact that you are breathing in infection to a weak area and if it were me I would be looking at herbs that are known to strengthen the chest or more likely aromatic oils which are herbs in aromatic form and I would choose Eucalyptus, Peppermint or Lavender taken via steam inhalation, a messy process, but it has worked in the past, but Eucalyptus has some particularly powerful properties and Lavender also relaxes.

 

Have you tried the known natural defence booster ; Echinacea ?

 

It does work, but one can only take it off and on through the bug season, something like two weeks on and two weeks off, but it has been known to shift already established bugs quickly.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Echinacea

 

Attention is drawn to the heading; Medicinal Uses.

 

But having used it I believe it has a use and if that use is placebo who cares, if the effect is one shifts or wards of bugs.

 

But having studied phytotherapy in the past aka Herbalism I understand for every bug animals get there is a cure growing in nature and even with aromatherapy the aromas we smell are complex chemical keys that perhaps activate something already in our brains from our design to start working to even cure ourselves.

 

But of course the resistance to nature is commercial.

 

But it is perhaps interesting to discover the side effects of allopathic medicine is responsible for the majority of admissions to hospital.

 

But how about this for a conspiracy theory ;

 

Given the fact that advertising for cold remedies also seems to coincide with the time people start getting bugs, I have often wondered if bugs are released into the population for the commercial gain as by no means are all scientists ethical, a scientist friend agrees it is easy to release bugs as it can be done by one person. I wonder this because not even government are in touch with the public perception so how can big pharma be so in touch unless they are not, but somehow just seem to respond at the right time with a new wonder drug ?

 

But given your state, I would recommend echinacea.

Edited November 3, 2012 by Sa Skimrande

[Mike_GX101]

Some interesting words of wisdom there - thanks Sa Skimrande. I'll certainly read up on echinacea - yes our sense of smells are very clever. But I'm guessing that it could go the other way and be bad for you as smelling the wrong keys could have less than positive effects on the body.

 

I seem to remember there being something on the market a few years back which was available that if taken before the onset of a cold could thwart it's progress significantly. The only problems were that it was difficult to time it right (i.e. to know a week in advance of an upcoming cold) and it was incredibly expensive to buy and after my first and only bottle I decided not to buy it again for these reasons.

 

Nothing annoys me more though than seeing a medication come on the market said to have healing effects over whatever it is for only to then find out that each unit of it costs an extortionate amount and you're (unknowingly) going to need at least 20 units just to begin to notice a difference. And this happens for pets too - vetinary medications can cost an absolute fortune. This is where a competitive market would be a real advantage for consumers. Take down the barriers to entry into these industries and lets see some fair competition and some fairer prices.

Edited November 3, 2012 by Mike_GX101

[darkshine]

Just wanted to add that I've found echinacea to be useful in the past especially for those times when you feel a cold coming on - but also during a cold - as Sa Skimrande says, there could have placebo elements but I personally don't believe that to be so as I do not have any belief in anything that can be taken for things like colds or depression (for example) - but I feel this approach gives me better indications as to whether a thing works or not, I have used this approach with any type of medication whether herbal or otherwise and it seems to serve me well.

 

The reason I say it has been useful in the past is that I am currently going through a phase whereby I avoid taking anything due to years on anti-depressants I am tired of tablets for now and am having a break (the one exception being painkillers should other methods of pain relief fail) and I suspect if I had a bad enough cold and couldn't breathe I would use olbas oil, and if I had a sore throat I would probably buy strepsils so my rules aren't fixed.

 

By the way... interesting conspiracy theory Sa Skimrande - one never knows and there's a lot of money in such industries.

Edited November 3, 2012 by darkshine

[Sa Skimrande]

For years I was into natural remedies, inspired by my late granny who was referred to by many of the oldies around here as a witch in that she always made healing brews for people, her being from the country, in fact it was many of the oldies would get meds from the doctor and get something from my granny as they also remember the old medicine and especially during the war years where the public were actually told to rely on country medicine as much as possible to save medications for those fighting, but after the war along came the NHS and a different education where people were actively dissuaded from using the old methods that had worked for centuries and indeed through WW2.

 

So I followed herbalism and aromatherapy for decades and I never took allopathic medicines for anything, not even a head ache for I could shift those with aromatherapy and I used to treat my ex when she had migraines, some of the oil blends I used she said worked better than the prescription stuff and were not as debilitating in terms of side effects, but nothing I could do would work anything like the ergotamine based migraine killers, but ergotamine is powerful stuff, and was responsible for the Salem Witch Trials where it was created naturally on damp stored Rye, where it is called Ergot of Rye.

 

The old ways can be a hassle, nothing like the convenience of popping a pill, but there is some comfort in using what grows to heal, and I believe part of the healing process is the medicine process itself, the positive thought in the sourcing and preparation. But when the depression hit big time and I mean big I lost it all and ended up on mind benders that didn't do a lot, they certainly didn't cure that s for sure for I am different more friendly ones now but there is a theory SSRIs will be banned eventually as it is only an idea that they might work so far, but what else they cause is the concern.

 

But I have a clue now what might be causing the depression given the recent KS diagnosis, for my doctor has got an idea at last although I had already thought of this, he now thinks my persistent low mood is biological through hormone deficiency and so I have to see an edocrinologist to see what is missing although I already know my testosterone levels are low, I had them measured about fifteen years ago and T levels drop about 2 % per year after age 30, so I could be at least 28 % lower than what I was, oh fab.

 

But aromas as in smells, our body knows what is a bad smell, we have that in built programming and with each of us it is different thus indicating bad things might have lesser or greater effects on different people, but my ideas are that smells are keys, combinations even that unlock parts of our mind as how often has others smelled something and then be assailed with a memory attributed to that smell, even stuff you have forgotten can be brought back through experiencing a smell you have not experienced in a long time. But with medicinal uses I believe our minds know full well what they are looking for to action a process and when something is found that smells right we get told by our minds. Now I am not up on brain theory but I believe there is a part of our mind locked away from most other uses where we have our ancestral programming and in that area is the medicine chest, what was it called, the Lizard Brain reckoned to be at least 285 million years old ?

 

I also fed up with allopathic medicine am also starting to wander back into my old ideas as to be totally fair the mind benders have at least stopped my jumping off the cliff behind my house and I have been on that edge plenty of times peering into the darkness.

 

But as mentioned earlier the KS diagnosis, it has changed me for at last I know what I am and can accept myself and for me that is a big thing and today I am in a good hopefully helpful mood because I wrote and told my ex wife about the diagnosis as she went through a lot of it with me at the time the last doctor failed to have a clue and what she was seeing as aspergers syndrome, could very well have been the typicalities of KS as they are similar enough to be the same given my ASD diagnosis is mild.

[raydon]

I had a sinus operation a few years ago and was given a 50/50 mix of bicarbonate of soda and salt in a 1/100 luke warm water to use as a nasal douche. I found it so beneficial for clearing all the gunk that I have kept doing it, and have never had a cold since.

[Sa Skimrande]

Mucus is designed to trap particles and so flushing the stuff out also flushes out potentially harmful bacteria which if allowed to stay in the nice warm place the body is, bacteria can become bugs. The only problem is by flushing daily one is not allowing mucus to do it's job and it could happen a fast moving bug could enter the body, but then infections can happen with mucus in situ anyway.

 

Years ago to lessen the effects of hay fever I also used to douche the nasal passages with salted water, but have not done it since due to not having hay fever anymore, age 37, it just went where it turned up at age 4.

[Mike_GX101]

I've had my fair share of alternative methods of curing things. For example I learned about 10 years ago that by pressing lightly on certain areas just below my patella I could get rid of patella tendonitis which I used to get a lot due to a knee injury.

 

I then had another fall about 2 years ago twisting my leg agonizingly so and my knee swelled up massively. I went to A&E and they requested that I rested it and went back in for an x-ray the Thursday after (4 days later). During those 4 days before then sitting alone at home with my knee sheer agony I very carefully brought the swelling down with acupressure and deep muscular massage and when I went back for the x-ray the original doctor couldn't believe it and I had him scratching his head. I had performed the impossible. The x-ray was done and it showed I had no broken bones (I already knew this). I was back in business again shortly after with some continued rehabilitation via a physiotherapist who could massage and manipulate my knee in a way I could never do myself - it worked wonders!

 

However tread with caution when using the same technique to clear blocked noses and things. I found out that touching particular pressure points on my face caused a relaxing sensation and I would hear little 'pops' where apparently the lymph was suddenly flushing away. This helped me to relax in the evenings and I felt wonderful afterwards. One day earlier this year however it all went wrong and I must have pressed in the wrong place for a bit too long. I started feeling dizzy and a strange sense of falling into myself occurred. Let's just say I experienced a full blown panic attack after this as my lips went numb and I felt really cold. I jumped into a hot shower to stimulate blood flow again and dashed out and walked where there were people in case I did pass out. Better to be with lots of people when such things happen than not for what would have happened if I'd fallen unconscious there and then with no one round to see? Ever since this incident I very rarely use acupressure (even finding that when I use it for my knee every now and then, as needed in the way it used to work, it now causes heavy pins and needles to set in down my shin and leaves my foot cold and numb and leaves me battling yet another panic attack at the thought of the many possible consequences including maybe even having to have my foot amputated).

 

Where acupressure used to work it no longer does and for that reason I'm going back to more conventional methods of healing particularly where blocked noses are concerned.

Edited November 4, 2012 by Mike_GX101

[darkshine]

I used to experiment with aromatherapy, its yet another thing that I just tossed away during a depressive episode.

 

I also fed up with allopathic medicine am also starting to wander back into my old ideas as to be totally fair the mind benders have at least stopped my jumping off the cliff behind my house and I have been on that edge plenty of times peering into the darkness.

 

I stopped taking anti-depressants a few months ago, as much as they kept me from my own versions of cliffs they also kept me within a narrow band of mood, so as much as I didn't experience the scary lows, I didn't feel the opposite either, I'd have occasions moments of something like pleasure and then it would be gone leaving me within a limbo of nothingness.

 

Not that it is plain sailing without the damn things, there are some days where I look at how I am and wonder for a brief moment if I should take them again - but I just cannot bring myself to seriously allow that as an option for I know they were no good for me.

 

You may right about the process of preparing natural remedies, the mindset involved in sourcing and preparation could be a key part of the benefit.

[Sa Skimrande]

I agree with the narrow band of feeling available on anti depressants and I to a large extent understand many that do what they do whilst on the things, for it was whilst on the last lot of drugs totally unsuitable to me that I went on the spur of the moment and got both nipples pierced just to feel something and I did, but a few hours later I did an exam and got 96 %, where the piercer incredulous to my needs was seriously skeptical that I would be fit to do the exam as after such an experience the advice is to rest, but maybe he was not conversant with what ASD people can do when the need arises.

 

Anti depressants I am sort of on them at the moment, when I remember, mirtazapine and they are with me the drugs that suck the least, although I don't experience mos of the side effects the below mentions;

 

http://crazymeds.us/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Meds/Remeron

 

But I never really seem to experience the withdrawal effects of forgetting to take the things that many others report in that I actually feel those that whinge about what I don't experience are in actual fact, wimps that believe medical science is so advanced that a med can be found for any complaint and it will be totally pain less

[darkshine]

That's one of the medications I stopped taking, I noticed very few side effects from it, although to begin with I did get an almost constant urge to chew on something, after a few weeks that feeling abated. The other med I stopped was tegretol.

 

I used to be on venlafaxine and tegretol (carbamazepine) before I changed the venlafaxine to mirtazepine - the withdrawals from the venlafaxine were terrible, I literally spent the best part of 4 months wanting to die last winter (from October to January) really messy few months.

 

But I'm glad I did it because mirtazepine seemed so much less harmful, if it hadn't been for a week of sickness I would have probably took it for a while longer, but I felt that after that week of being able to ingest nothing, including meds I figured it was my opportunity to give life a go med free.

 

Of course the continued sickness could have been withdrawals, but then I was still taking the tegretol and I know that that used to make me feel sick if I stopped taking it, so I cannot really comment given that this other drug was present in my system too, but I do know that when I forgot to take the mirtazepine I did not notice any ill effects.

 

I think medications are not always suited to people on the spectrum and we have to find what works for us.

[Sa Skimrande]

It's odd, the withdrawal stuff I never get them, the last med, citalopram I just stopped one day and it was about three weeks before I remembered to take the meds again by which time well I had stopped, but that stuff was bad for me, mirtazapine is much much kinder. But I just don't get the withdrawal stuff, either that or I don't notice it, which could be the same with colds and stuff, I either don't get them or I don't notice them. But before the meds I was taking something called Arctic Root a herbal alternative the Swedes use which is Rhodiola Rosea over here.

[darkshine]

Some people have argued that people on the autistic spectrum do not react in "nt" ways to medications, maybe there is some truth in that for anti-depressants in particular are geared at certain chemicals based on the "nt" brain.

 

I'm not sure how much truth there is in that idea, but I see it as viable in some instances, for example when I go to the dentist and need injections, instead of 2 I get 4, if I need 4 I get given 6 because they just don't work at their usual doses.

[Sa Skimrande]

Ah, so yes it could be we have a higher tolerance to some things perhaps through the wiring of our brains, so who is the missing link, them or us ?

 

But of a lot of aspies I get the sense that aspies are more advanced than the NT, where it could be humanity is in fact evolving and the instance of diagnosis might also have something to do with the sheer number of us it has designed for a purpose

[darkshine]

Ah, so yes it could be we have a higher tolerance to some things perhaps through the wiring of our brains, so who is the missing link, them or us ?

 

But of a lot of aspies I get the sense that aspies are more advanced than the NT, where it could be humanity is in fact evolving and the instance of diagnosis might also have something to do with the sheer number of us it has designed for a purpose

 

I like the idea of evolution myself cuz why the hell not eh?

 

I guess in considering the idea it could explain the broadness and variation of people on the spectrum, natures way of testing out different modifications to see which strain will work best for future survival - who knows which of these abilities nature decides is the best but with the all the changes in the world, the things people have done to it, who knows if autism is related to that in the form of a modification for future survival due to the changes we've made as a species to the planet.

 

Just to throw another angle in to things.

[Aeolienne]

Just wanted to add that I've found echinacea to be useful in the past especially for those times when you feel a cold coming on - but also during a cold - as Sa Skimrande says, there could have placebo elements but I personally don't believe that to be so as I do not have any belief in anything that can be taken for things like colds or depression (for example) - but I feel this approach gives me better indications as to whether a thing works or not, I have used this approach with any type of medication whether herbal or otherwise and it seems to serve me well.

According to the Grauniad, the evidence for echinacea's preventative effects is inconclusive.

Should I do more to avoid catching a cold?

[darkshine]

I think its supposed to have immune-boosting properties - but technically that would be inconclusive too, some people I think are highly affected by their beliefs and I think that's a powerful tool we humans can have. I personally have little belief in certain medications (herbal or otherwise) so all I can do is comment on my own experience and whether I feel a thing works for me or not.

 

Having said that, I don't use echinacea and I haven't had a cold in quite a while, and the last one I had that was worthy of mentioning, was last year I think, and I caught it from a housemate but I seemed to suffer milder effects from the cold and it didn't last as long for me. I decided a couple of years ago that I just wasn't interested in colds, a head cold is I grant you quite irritating, but as for the other symptoms, well they aren't the end of the world are they?

 

Now the flu... that, I take seriously

 

I guess echinacea would be nice in a sick room - as a flower - the purple ones are kinda groovy, the echinacea purpurea and augustifolia are interesting, and there's yellow versions that have more spread petals, can't remember the name it might be paradoxa or paradoxia.

 

So my cure for the common cold is that I acknowledge its just a cold, I believe it won't last forever, and I carry on with my life. and as a result, I don't seem to get many - but If I do get a cold worthy enough to mention and I change my mind then I'll amend what I've said here